Strange Boy
by Helix4444
Summary: The Doctor lands the TARDIS in the year 2013 and finds a boy, not older than sixteen, bruised and cut up. He shoves him into the TARDIS to get him fixed up before dropping him off back in the alley. He didn't know what he could do, though. Neither did he know the pain that flowed through his body, in every second, every day, every living moment.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all, I'm terribly sorry for not posting the actual chapter, I was going to but I nearly broke my ankle in my chair, don't ask, and wanted the story to be UP so I would remember to type it when I got on. My ankle's fine now, and I am also working on another story so yeah. Anyway ON TO THE STORY.**

**Chapter 1: Newest Companion**

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I landed the TARDIS on Earth, pushing past my feelings of regret to find something to stop or fix. An alien invasion or a madman testing on dogs. Something to occupy my mind from what I felt. I would miss the Ponds, poor Amy and Rory. At least they died happy, going through life, getting older. But they did it together, something I have tried to do so many times over.

The sounds of the TARDIS stopped and I looked around the large console room. I needed to remodel, so many things reminded me of them. I shut the memories out, grabbing my sonic screwdriver and sliding it into my coat pocket. The reflective surface of the console showed me my bow tie was crooked. Straightening it after slicking back my hair I jumped down to the door, opening it slowly, listening to the wood creak.

I parked in a alley. The cool night air made me shiver slightly as I looked at the moonlight which reflected off of the damp concrete ground. I was somewhere in New York still, different year. About 2013. I hopped out, letting the door close and lock behind me, knowing all too well my sexy TARDIS will be fine where it is.

I walked slowly down the alley, scanning the area with my sonic screwdriver for anything alien to this planet. Of course I got thousands of signs back, humans don't know how many passive aliens live on Earth, but none showed any signs of danger. There was a life sign in the alley, it was blinking out. Human, of course, and about eight feet ahead of me.

I walked quickly ahead, a small spring in my step to be able to help someone. Around a dumpster there was a teenage boy, no older than about fifteen or sixteen. He had dark brown hair with thing eyebrows. His face was angular and sharp but handsome at the same time. He spiked his hair upwards like I did with my last regeneration, but he pulled it off more like a punk look. His eye were closed and his clothes were ripped to shreds. I could barely tell he was supposed to be wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

His body was covered in bruises and cuts, blood stained his clothes at points where holes had been cut open. Tears sat on his face, mingling with the blood coming from his nose and jaw. The weird thing was what was in his ears. It looked like wire. Duct tape wrapped around his head, covering the mouth.

He was breathing roughly, probably had multiple broken ribs stabbing into his lungs. I reached down, pulling the wire out of his ears without harming him. The sudden sound made him jump and his eyes snapped open, filled with a mix of terror and guilt. He calmed down as he looked at me. "Hello," I smiled cheerfully at him as I pulled the duct tape off of his head quickly. "I'm the Doctor," He half smiled at my name.

"Doctors... Oh I'll end up worse than this if he finds out," My smiled faded as I sat next to him. "Those wires, you shouldn't of taken them out. I'm not allowed to have help. I don't deserve it," Did he do this to himself?

"You look pretty tattered, why aren't you in a hospital?" He laughed again.

"Not allowed," Perhaps his parents did this?

"You're not allowed to do anything, are you?" He shook his head leaning against the dumpster.

"You need to go. If any of his friends see me talking to you... I can't say the things he'll do," He shuddered, tears resting in his eyes. He was getting abused by someone, I probably won't be able to figure it out without more details. Seeing him like this reminded me of the past. I grabbed his arm and pulled him up as I stood, startling him. "What are you doing?!"

"Getting you to a Doctor!" I pulled him along to my TARDIS. He didn't put up much of a fight.

"I thought you were a doctor," I smiled back at him.

"Of a sort, but for future sake, just call me The Doctor,"

"Doctor Who?" I smiled even wider at his question. The question without an answer. I have had nicknames, but no one but River and I know my real name.

"Just The Doctor," I pulled him next to the TARDIS. "And this is my ship,"

"A police box? Not much of a ship," I grinned opening the door.

"It's a time traveling space ship!" He looked down to his feet confused.

"Are you mad or is blood loss making me hallucinate?" I pressed my hand firmly on his back and pushed him in. He stumbled for a second before looking up in awe. Despite his wounds he rushed outside, feeling the edges around the box, before rushing back inside. "Yep, definitely hallucinating,"

"Nope, this is real. One hundred and sixty two percent real! This is the TARDIS! That stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Remember that for the pop quiz!" He looked at me as I closed the doors.

"Pop quiz? Not really much of a pop quiz since you told me about it," I held my finger up a second, pondering the situation.

"Yeah, spoilers," I twiddled my fingers before jumping back up to the console and flipping levers and switches, setting the coordinates to the best hospital in the universe, the same one I dropped River off at after she tried to kill Hitler and myself. I flipped the final lever as the TARDIS lurched into action. "Oh I should probably know your name as well!" I yelled over the noise.

"James! Nice to meet you Doctor!" He winced as the TARDIS shook, blood flowing from his shoulders again. A few short moments and sparks later we landed. He collapsed onto his knee, breathing sharply. I had to help him up and out before nurses surrounded us, pushing him into a wheelchair. He stared wide eyed at them. "They're cats.. and we moved... and... what is going ON?!" Ah the usual reaction.

"Calm down sir, we'll take care of your wounds and you'll be out of here in less than half an hour," His eyebrows raised at the sound of that as he was pushed along into a small room and placed on a bed. "Now since you're friends with the Doctor here we know you mean no harm, but we need you to fill this out and before the nanobots can repair your body they need to know the cause of the injuries," He seemed completely lost. I sidestepped, keeping out of the nurse's way as they went around him.

He finished the paper and a cloud of nanobots came in. Only one nurse remained to make sure everything went smoothly. "Okay, James, my name is Luna, I'll be monitoring the healing process. As we had said before, the nanobots will not work unless they know the cause, so whenever you're ready just say it aloud," He seemed terrified to speak.

"Do I have to? It's kind of personal," Luna tilted her head. "I just don't want anyone to go... missing again,"

"Well then whisper it in my ear and I'll give them the code based on what it is. It's alright you're from Earth so whatever is there won't be able to get me," He paused for a moment before leaning over and quickly whispering into her ear. It took him awhile to explain and the more he did the higher her eyebrows rose. I thought they would come straight off of her head. She nodded when he was done and spoke clearly to the bots. "Case A6894F-Severity 17. Commence," The cloud flew at him, repairing his wounds wherever they covered over. Some went into his mouth and down his throat to heal internal wounds.

It took a lot longer than a usual bot heal for them to finish, when they were done they formed back into a cloud and zipped out of the room to the next patient. "How you feeling?" He rubbed his throat and ears as if they were alien.

"I haven't been this... solid since I was five. I can hear clearly now.. I can breathe," Luna smiled happily at him.

"All in a day's work, remember no running, especially if you're with the Doctor," She gave me a glare. "And here," She pulled a small piece of candy out of a jar, "For not freaking out against the bots, most people do their first time," He seemed intrigued by it, as if he had never had any.

"Well come on, time to get you home. There is a wardrobe in the TARDIS so you can get changed, just throw those down the glowing red chute," He nodded as we walked back. I slipped money on the front desk to pay for the bill. I entered the blue box to find the inside changed. "Oh thank you girl, you just know me so well," The TARDIS made a noise that sounded like a giggle.

"Where's the wardrobe?" He was picking at the hole in his pants as if they revealed too much.

"Through that door, take two lefts, a right, then a left," He nodded again and quickly went to change as I studied the new console room. It was smaller than before but looked far cooler. Above the main console metal rings with gallifreyan written all acrossed it spun around it. The room glowed a dark blue and the wall lights glowed accordingly, going around the room in a circular fashion.

I fiddled with the new console, pressing and pulling buttons and levers that had been remodeled by the TARDIS. I flew her back to Earth on the same day, no even gone for twenty minutes. She landed with her usual sounds and I sat in the chair next to the console, pulling up a mirror and straightening my bow tie again. I waited for him to come back, hoping he didn't get lost. It took awhile but he soon returned. A new pair of jeans and a flannel shirt.

"We're already back, so you can leave when you want to," He walked over to the door. "Oh and keep out of harm's way, those trips are so boring," I made him smile a real smile, not a mocking one.

"Doctor... Thank you," I nodded as he walked out, the door creaking shut behind him. Somehow I knew that wasn't the last time I was going to see him. My wallet vibrated softly. I pulled it out, looking at my psychic paper. A note was written across it in River's neat handwriting.

_Hello Sweetie. There's a high school in New York where I think something going to go down. Something about recreating a reality bomb. Sounds serious, I'll meet you there._ _-R 10/15/2013_

A reality bomb? Again? Davros is dead, so maybe Daleks are involved with this. Only a week away as well. I jumped up, ready for action, flipping away at the console in an excited manner.

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**A/N: There we go, theres the chapter. I'm very VERY sorry for not posting it. Won't happen again. Hope you enjoyed, yes River will be in the next chapter, of course. You can't have 11 without a bit of River now can you :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Doctor Who, nor do I own the characters from it. This story has been created as a source of entertainment and is not to be sold or distributed by anyone but the sole author.**

**Chapter 2: Back to school**

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The TARDIS landed on the right time. I had her trace River back from her message. I looked in the mirror, making sure I looked as best I could. I hopped out of the TARDIS, looking around. I was definitely still in New York. I had to get out of here, it's still overrun by angels probably. No one was around to see me materialize, so I wasn't going to be on the news again.

Before me sat a large building. Large windows were on every brick wall. I was behind it, why I wasn't seen. I walked to the door, pulling out my sonic screwdriver and unlocking it. I slid inside and continued to walk down the hall, finding myself in a school, again. I knew where I would find River, it was quite early in the morning so she would want coffee.

The place was quite large, like any high school. The largest room was a long hallway stretching from one end of the school to the other. It connected every hall and every staircase, along with holding a snack shop and a merchandise shop. River was standing in the snack shop.

"Hello Sweetie," Her common greeting. She is the only one that can pull it off, making it seem so nice but so flirtatious. "I already dealt with your cover story, I'm Mrs. Smith, you're Mr. Smith. I teach Physical Science, you teach Trigonometry," I groaned.

"I hate teaching math, especially when some kids only ask questions to stall for the bell," She grinned, pulling out her diary.

"The most recent thing that happened, Angels all over Manhattan," She looked up at me. We were still talking to the same timeline?

"Same for me," It surprised her. "Speaking of, why are we still here,"

"I looked in the TARDIS data banks, a reality bomb? The entire universe will be gone!"

"Yes but they need twenty-eight planets to even begin to fire it, maybe they only plan to wipe out Earth?"

"Maybe," She closed her diary. "But I'd get to your class, it's nearly time for kids to start coming in. You have a schedule to do, so do I. See you on your lunch break," She kissed me on the cheek before walking out quickly.

* * *

The bell rang and I pulled the slip of paper I knew she put in my coat pocket. Room A113, bottom floor. It took me a few minutes to find my class, accidentally walking into the wrong one multiple times. I poked my head inside what I hoped was room A113. There wasn't a teacher here to control the students, but they seemed somewhat tamed. There was nothing airborne, just a lot of talking.

"Hello yes, is this Trigonometry in room A113?" A kid in the front row of the desks nodded yes and I spun into the room. "Class! Silence! If you are listening to music, please remove your headphones. I don't care if you have a drink as long as it stays in the bottle or you drink it, no pouring it down someone's back,"

Someone in the back sighed as the rest sat down. I took attendance and looked at the schedule left for me. I only had to collect and then give them an assignment. I stopped when I noticed a face I recognized. James Herentix. Interesting last name. I looked up. He wasn't in his seat but walking in. "Late!" He jumped at my voice, making the class laugh.

He looked over at me and his eyes slightly widened. He shook his head and sat in his seat. "Okay class, I have to collect last night's homework and then you have a chapter review to do, all fifty questions, you don't have to show work unless told to explain or do so," The class groaned. "I am a teacher who does not agree with working alone, which he wants you to do, so you must work at least with one person but no more than four!" I smiled from the desk.

Quickly the class bundled together into small groups. The screech of desks coming together made me cringe. I studied James who just sat there, looking around worriedly. Two girls, cheerleaders from their shirts, pulled desks next to him. He seemed to try to get them to go away but they rolled their eyes, starting a conversation.

I watched the class work. A group of guys kept looking at the group James was in. One of them was texting, grinning evilly. A few minutes after he was done James got a text. After he read it he seemed terrified, glaring at the group of boys. I noticed a feature about him. His eyes a few minutes ago were green. Now they're blue and red. Like they showed his emotions. Blue, fear, red, anger. Or he has some weird genes. The girls next to him comforted him, rubbing his shoulder.

I stared at the clock. I had three more periods before my lunch break. Then I had thirty minutes to investigate the school. It would usually take less time, depending on the problem. Since this is an urgent problem it has probably been covered up well. This may even be a multiple day investigation.

A thing I wanted to know more about is James. I put my sonic screwdriver on a high frequency and pointed it right at him from under the desk. His nose began to bleed. One of the girls freaked out a bit and raised her hand. I pretended to look up, then waved my hand for him to go to the nurse. He stood up and quickly walked out, covering his nose with his hand.

I stood, going over to his desk and collecting his papers up, piling them neatly together before sitting down between the two women. They're confused looks made me smile. "Hello ladies, I need to know a bit more about that James guy. A week ago I found him bleeding to death in an alley, so I got him fixed up. Do either of you know what happened?"

"That was you?! Don't let James's boyfriend know, he'll hunt you down," I raised an eyebrow, making the one on my left sigh.

"James is being controlled, he has been for years now. Do you remember him during his eighth grade year, Kate?" The one on my right nodded, smiling. "He was the sweetest guy I ever met. He was open to everyone, as soon as he got asked out by a girl he apologized in the sweetest way. He was extremely popular for half the year, nice to everyone, even bullies. What happened again?"

"His parents died," Kate joined the story. "He was crushed, cut himself off from everyone. Went into a deep depression. A senior that had been held back for three years, he was twenty when he graduated, saw him sulking. No one knows what that senior did, but James began talking again, but soon after he started showing up with bruises. Whenever I tried talking to him he said he didn't have permission to talk to anyone. He never fell behind in school though, being a Junior in an accelerated senior class,"

"Who is this guy? What's his name," Kate shrugged.

"Sarah, you almost figured it out. What do you think his name is?" She frowned putting her pencil she was chewing on down.

"I didn't find out his name, just what James called him. Master, sometimes even god," I shuddered as memories came flooding back of The Master and I on Gallifrey.

"That's kind of sick," The two girls nodded. "I don't want to know what he does to James, I saw the outcome,"

"See those boys over there?" She nodded towards the group that had watched James, who were now laughing quietly together. "They're his spies. Tells James's boyfriend when he does something wrong, such as talk to someone," So that's what he meant 'If they see you' in the alley.

"Thank you ladies," I stood going back to my desk as the bell rang. Addressing the class, I spoke clearly. "The questions are your homework if you didn't get them done, you have a chapter test tomorrow. Adieu," I bowed. The class left quickly, James coming in after the bell rang and quickly departing. The nosebleed effect from my sonic screwdriver only last a few moments. I had a plan, get him away from his 'boyfriend'. Maybe he'll enjoy a Roman Colosseum Match. Heck who knows, I might even get myself another companion.

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_A/N: I've made myself a plan. I would release a chapter from both my stories twice a week. One at the beginning and end of the week. Be sure to follow and favorite if you like the story so far, I love reading your reviews. This is 9/7 to 9/8 week's chapter. Be sure to check out my other story if you enjoy the Sly Cooper Franchise. I think they're coming out with another game._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Doctor Who, nor do I own the characters from it. This story has been created as a source of entertainment and is not to be sold or distributed by anyone but the sole author.**

**Chapter 3: Reality Bomb?**

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Anxiety filled me as the fourth bell rang. Time to deal with this reality bomb. The likelihood of Daleks being involved was high. I do believe if they are, River and I will survive. She dies in the Library, making her future inevitable. Mine may end here, but the probability of that happening is as low as Amy and Rory walking into the room.

I walked out of the small classroom, following the flow of students down the halls, hoping they'll lead me to the cafeteria. I saw James. He was looking around, fiddling with a bead necklace. It wasn't a Mardi Gra necklace, the beads were white and gray with symbols etched across that seemed to swirl together, forming elements. He was waiting for the hall to empty, but why?

I ignored him, continuing down the hall. I spotted River past nearly a hundred students. It took a few minutes to rendezvous with her. She seemed as annoyed as I was. "Rough classes?" She groaned, cracking her neck.

"You don't even know. There was this one guy who wouldn't stop talking, I almost pulled my gun on him," I smiled.

"I had a kid who lit his book on fire. I didn't find it as entertaining," She leaned back a bit, giving a surprised look. "I used his jacket to put it out before the alarms went off," She nodded, looking around.

"Seen anything or anyone suspicious?" I thought for a second. The only thing I saw suspicious was James. I stopped. Could he really be a Dalek assistant? They have used humans to get things they need. River looked back at me, worry spread across her face.

I started walking to where I last saw James. Students moved out of my way as I walked quickly, making sure to show I was in a rush. He was still standing in the same place, fiddling with his necklace. I still don't recognize those symbols, which is a bad sign. I've been alive for 1,316 years, able to go anywhere in the universe to any part of time. I know every language, every symbol. If I don't know it, it's probably bad.

River came up behind me and I used the reflection of a window to point him out. We were out of his sight, sitting behind a wall. We waited and watched as the halls cleared. He gave one last look at the empty halls and took off. We tailed him, keeping him in our sights but staying out of his.

We got to a locker bay in the back of the school. He opened one on the bottom, finding it empty. He said something, making me freeze. It wasn't a language I recognized, but it sounded vulgar. River took the seriousness from my face and pulled out her gun. James jolted up, sprinting to a set of stairs and going down. We followed, but not for long as he was stopped by a locked door. He struggled with it, fear spread across his face.

"What's wrong?" I came up to him, making him jump. Tears welled in his eyes.

"Everyone's in danger! I can't get the door open!" I pulled my sonic screwdriver out, unlocking and opening the door. He ran in, following the continued stairs down multiple levels. This school was gigantic. The wall said B-8 before he left the staircase. He was running faster than me, which is a lot to say, down a single corridor which ended in a large garage door which was closing. He ducked under it, River and I close behind.

The room was enormous. Pillars separated by every ten feet held the concrete roof roughly thirty feet above us. Talking could be heard coming from the ceiling. I think we're under the cafeteria. A large circle formed in the center of the room from the pillars. A symbol had been drawn, filling the area. The thing that stood out, the thing I first notice, was the large fiery Golem in the center. "James help!" a voice came from the left of it.

"Hang on Cole!" James drew a glyph on the ground and seemed to push it towards the Golem. the glyph moved, glowing white before it hit the much larger one. The Golem looked down at the large drawing around him before growling. It began to shrink, about the size of myself, before James got to it. It turned on him and flung its arm. Fire erupted from it, engulfing the area around James but not touching him.

He leapt over the flames, landing behind the fiery beast. He strangled it with his necklace and it roared resistance. The talking from above stop as the shout echoed, shaking the room. James said something, equaling its shout. The beast disappeared into ash, a bead on James's necklace glowing red. James collapsed in the center of the large circle, smiling. Before I got to him someone else was next to him, a boy probably around eighteen.

"James.. I'm so sorry I-" He was cut off by James himself.

"Don't worry about, everyone else is safe. But seriously, if I tell you not to cast anything out of that book, I mean it. That Reality Bomb was weak, probably only able to destroy the galaxy, but that would be multiple levels of Genocide. I don't think the Zodiarchs would have liked that," The boy, Cole, looked down in shame. James forced him to look at him. "But I would have never been able to do that without hurting myself. You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, nothing serious," He uncovered his arm. It was charred to the bone, bleeding from the elbow. River made a gagging noise behind me and I gave her a look. James sighed, cutting a glyph into his _bone_. His arm burst into green flame before stopping seconds later, completely fine. "How can you do that without the book?"

"I'm sure you know about my... master... I've had to memorize it. He was the one who taught me about all this stuff. He's so much more powerful than me... It's why I'm scared to try to leave," Cole shook his head.

"You're stronger than him! I just know it!" James sighed again, looking up at me.

"Anyway, Doctor. Thanks for following, but you ought to work on tailing people. I knew you were there all along," I figured he would. He pulled a remote out of his pocket and clicked a few buttons on it. The garage door we came through opened slowly. "Cole, go on ahead, I need to clean up," His face was grave. "You two should go with him,"

"Why would we do that?" I smiled at him. His look changed, becoming more serious. It was one River has tried before and failed at. It was one that sent chills up my back, but I didn't move. He sighed and clicked a few more buttons on his remote. I looked over at the door as Cole passed it. It slammed close in an instant.

"Because he's coming," He ran over to a small pile of items, picking up a bag and a book. Wind began to pick up, flowing towards the center of the circle.

"River give me your TARDIS key," She did so and I pressed it to mine. The TARDIS began to materialize beside us as something else materialized in the glyph. James ran next to us, drawing a circle around the TARDIS and scribbling shapes and curves around it.

"Inside the circle you're safe, don't leave it," He ran out of his safety circle, facing the object in the center. Particles swarmed together, lifting off of the image around him, forming a person. It took only ten seconds to show a man where the circle used to be, teeth clenched together and fists tightened.

"James!" He barked, making James flinch. He was maybe twenty feet away from him. "You disobeyed! Summoning a REALITY BOMB? Do you know how dangerous that is?!" The man in the center, who I assumed was this 'master', flicked his wrist and lightning shot out. He used it as a whip, striking across James's chest from his distance. He howled and dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry, Master," blood dripped from his chest, pooling below him. The man laughed and swung again, cutting across his back.

"Sorry? You should say that to everyone you could have killed you little," He rose his hand to swing again but River shot him, sprinting out and grabbing James. "What? Oh I see, have a little escape route to avoid punishment?" She crossed the barrier as this man lobbed a ball of fire at us. It shattered in front of us, scouring us with intense heat. "Oh and a magic barrier? Too bad it doesn't block me!" He ran towards us like the Flash, disappearing how fast he went. He slammed into the barrier and crumpled to the ground.

I looked at James. He drew something in his own blood, panting and crying. "I won't let you hurt them," the man on the other side stood, looking at James in disgust.

"Blood Glyphs? How do you think the Zodiarchy would feel?"

"How would they feel about you?! You... Tyrant!" He chuckled cracking his neck.

"Very well, I will find you though. You know you can't escape me," His smile was dark, filled with such lust. He disappeared and a pile of dust formed from his place. James cursed and stood, drawing a glyph on his chest. His body healed in the same green fire Cole's hand had.

"Why? Why did you grab me?" He looked back at river.

"I wasn't about to let you get tortured," he shook his head.

"I'm still in danger, all of us are," River smiled.

"All of us?"

"He wasn't JUST talking to me in that last sentence," He hugged his arms.

"We'll be fine, the places The Doctor can bring us," She smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"The only way we're safe is if we can travel through time," my smile widened.

"Well..." I walked to the door, clicking my fingers. It swung open, light from within shining out. "She is a time machine," His eyes widened. I raised both my hands. "Care to accompany me, you two?" They were both taken and I pulled them along into my magic box.

"So you've redecorated?" River leaned on the rail, looking above the console. "Really Doctor?" I looked up, reading one of the tiles spinning above it.

"What? Bow ties ARE cool," I straightened mine, remembering the two of them weren't acquainted. "Oh yes, River this is James, a boy I saved from bleeding to death, and James this is River, my wife," They smiled, shaking hands. "But enough introductions! Let's go for a ride!" I ran over to the console, setting the destination to Ancient Rome. River came up to me.

"Oh that's rather expensive though," I smiled and pulled the final lever. We took off, the TARDIS shaking through the time vortex.

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**A/N: So I realized every companion is linked to the Doctor or different in a way. So I thought of this when I was playing Nino kuni. Don't expect any of those characters though, I only took the Zodiarchy from it cause it sounded like it fit. I won't be using their concepts or anything, Just like a high court. Don't forget to Follow and Favorite if you enjoy and write a review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Doctor Who, nor do I own the characters from it. This story has been created as a source of entertainment and is not to be sold or distributed by anyone but the sole author.**

**Chapter 4: Luck of the Tainted  
The Doctor**

* * *

The TARDIS landed as the room stopped shaking. The three of us let go of the console, collecting ourselves. River reloaded her pistol from the shots taken at James's master. James himself was scanning through the large book he picked up, letting me look at the pages. The pages held a large glyph at the top left, then paragraphs describing each one in that language. River pulled out her blue diary, grinning at me.

"You still can't park, she's not supposed to make that noise," Does she always start an entry saying I can't drive my own TARDIS? James stopped flipping through the pages, landing on a very plain symbol. He drew it quickly on his shirt and it pulled together, repairing the slashes across it from that lightning whip. River stared at him before writing continuing to write in her journal.

"Come along you two," I jumped over to them, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. "Ever been to a Colosseum match before?" I pulled them out of the TARDIS, into the streets of Ancient Rome. People walked up and down the streets in large crowds, stopping at points to look at the various stalls of spices, foods, and weapons. The Colosseum was close, just enough to make out the line that stretched around it.

We walked towards it, James stopping at a weapons booth and picking up a sword. "Oh so you're more of a one hander, sir?" James caressed the blade before grabbing the hilt and swinging it around professionally. He nodded to the stall owner before placing it back down. I was good with a cutlass, and a few other weapons.

"Doctor, how come people are speaking English, not Latin or Roman," I scanned the line around the Colosseum for past or future versions of myself, seeing none, before answering his question.

"Well that's the TARDIS, she translates any language into one you can understand, as long as I'm okay," He nodded. River smiled at a jeweled necklace that caught her eye before shrugging it off. "The thing I want to know about, James, is what IS it that you do?" I went to a point in line close to the front, showing the man who tried to stop me from cutting my psychic paper. He backed up, allowing us to cut.

"Oh, well, it's not a cult or anything if that's what you're thinking. Mainly, it's an old order. Not everyone can do what I do, you have to have the ability to, which isn't very rare, but hard to discover. It's basically the powers of the gods, and the more advanced you get and the better you get, the less glyphs you'll have to draw. My master, he's been doing this since he was six, so he doesn't need glyphs except for very complex spells," The line moved slowly as he explained.

"So it is a type of magic?" River looked at the book he held in his hand. "And what is that bound in?" He held it out to her and she gladly took it and examined it.

"A rare material, practically indestructible. I've used it to shield myself from the master multiple times," He pointed to scorches and small dents in the cover. "The book itself is called many things, I like to call it The Book of Reality," He smiled to himself, taking the book back.

"Do you have to call that guy your master?" I shuddered slightly. James nodded, as if it seemed obvious.

We got to the entrance of the Colosseum. Today was definitely different. The guards outside weren't the casual guards, they were royal. Their menacing glares didn't set me aback, but they sure affected James. I glanced at River who returned my look. I held up my psychic paper to them and they nodded, letting us pass but giving each of us a clay square. I knew they were tickets, telling you which section, row, and seat you would take.

It didn't take long to find our seats, a great view. We were in the royal section, closer to the bottom, where we would be served. Other nobles around us scoffed, whispering things about our clothes. One in particular shunned James, who growled and raised his hands, snapping his fingers. The wine she held in her glass exploded all over her white outfit, making her cry out. James grinned and sat down.

"You didn't use a glyph!" River pointed out, excited.

"Water transportation is the most basic thing to learn, I mastered it a long time ago," She sighed, sitting down along with myself. I looked around, counting the number of guards. Archers all over the upper levels, more guards at every entrance and exit. And there was a large red throne, empty at the moment. So there would be a royal audience today?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, stand before the guest of, the Emperor himself!" A cheer erupted through the full Colosseum as a man came into view, wearing dazzling jewels and silk fabrics that rolled as he walked. I couldn't tell who it was from my seat, and neither could River. "As you all know, whenever a Royal guest appears," the announcer, unable to be seen from wherever he was, laughed deeply. The archers around held up their weapons and the guards at exits and entrances crossed their weapons. "Ten people from the crowd are chosen to go into the Colosseum and fight for their lives against gladiators and beasts!" I froze, looking over at River.

"That wasn't in the books!" James tried to stand but I forced him down.

"Try to run and you'll be shot dead before you get away from your seat, and you'll endanger everyone around us. Some of the archers are bad shots," Fear filled his eyes. "Relax, out of thousands of people, the three of us are a lot less likely to be chosen," he breathed slowly. I shared his feeling, but hid it well. River would be fine if she got called in with her gun.

The announcer called out nine people, all on the other side of the Colosseum. Three boys about James's age, two men who looked like tanks, and four women, one being nearly sixty. The announcer tutted before announcing the last seat, "How sad, someone from the nobles, very rare though! Section ten, row four, seat eighteen," That was our section, our row. But was it one of us. I looked at mine, seventeen. River had sixteen, which meant...

Shock filled both River and I. James stood solemnly. "I guess I do have the luck of the Tainted Knights of Pluto," He smiled at me. Two guards pointed spears at him, yelling at him to leave his book. "This object is dear to me and I will take it to my grave," They were reluctant, but let him keep it. "Doctor... Tell my master that I'm sorry he didn't get to finish his work," He walked away with the guards, not affected by the spears pointed at his back and neck. I looked at River, tears in my eyes. I lost another one.

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**A/N: I guess you could see that coming, eh? Oh well. If you noticed The Doctor thing under the chapter name at the top, that's the point of view, so I will be changing it. Next chapter is James's. Be sure to Follow and Favorite if you enjoy the story, and leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Doctor Who, nor do I own the characters from it. This story has been created as a source of entertainment and is not to be sold or distributed by anyone but the sole author.**

**Chapter 5: Colosseum Carnage  
James**

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The guards led me down a tight corridor, spears jabbing my back and stabbing my shoulder if I wasn't moving fast enough. I sighed in relief when the passage opened up to a large room, weapon racks and cages filled with large beasts were neatly organized around the box-shaped concrete entrance to the Colosseum. A line of men was facing the entrance into the match, slaves by what I could see. Chains linked their feet and hands together. There were empty links, enough for ten people.

"All right you ten, since you know how to talk, I'll talk to you directly. You have the wonderful opportunity to entertain the Emperor, so try to make your deaths exciting!" The six boys and girls cried out, trying to break free of the grip of the soldiers. The two men laughed, cracking their necks. The elderly woman looked at me, slight hope in her eyes. I gave her a reassuring smile, making one spread across her face. Who ever was addressing us didn't like my actions. "Oh, young man? What are you smiling at?"

I looked at him, determining features most people ignore. "Just a grin of reassurance, nothing more," He growled when I didn't say 'sir.' One of the older men looked at me warningly.

"You ought to finish your sentence, kid," I laughed.

"Why would I finish a sentence for this guy? Sure he leads you on about a lot of things, heterosexuality mainly. His wedding ring says he's married, gay marriage not allowed. The bags under his eyes also suggest he's taking care of... three newborns?" The man before me looked taken aback. "Oh but does he have secrets! Hint in his eye as they scan up and down my body, lagging behind at some points. Slight lean and limp, and suggesting of how polished the hilt of his sword is, well who know's where it's been," That angered him and he swung at me. I grabbed his arm with my teeth, pulling myself out of the guards grip and kicking him to the floor. Instantly one of the guards shifted slightly, worry in his eye.

"Oh I'll enjoy killing you," The man stood, holding his head. "Lock them up!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"Not as much as you enjoy that guard over there," I winked at him, making him shift uncomfortably. Hands grabbed and pushed me over to the chain. Locks clicked around my ankles and wrists as I stood behind the elderly woman at the rear of the chain. She looked back at me, smiling widely.

"If we want to survive we'll have to get out of this chain first. You're talented, I can tell. Got anything up your sleeve?" She whispered quietly to me. I nodded before the guard I kicked took the book encircled by my arms. I growled deeply, making him step back. He tried opening it when he was safely away, but the book wouldn't open for him. Look's like he doesn't have my talents. He glared at me before throwing it behind him.

The gate opened and the crowd cheered loudly. Adrenaline pumped through me as we walked out into the scorching heat. I looked over at where my seat was. The Doctor and his wife were on the edge of their seats, worry plastered on their face. I gave them a thumbs up, not changing their looks. I looked ahead of myself, noticing the many hairpins in the woman's hair. I took one, making a bit of her hair fall and a frown cross her face.

"Sorry, but I can pick locks," I went to work with the shackle that bound my hands together, finishing with it in seconds. I looked up at the Doctor, mouthing _Use your wand thingy for the rest!_ He nodded, pulling out that stick and flicking it down the row. Instantly all the cuffs unlocked and we were free. "Everyone behind me!" I yelled when we reached the center. I faced the entrance we had just used as gladiators came bustling out. The two men came up next to me, pushing me back.

"We'll take them on first, just stay back kid," I laughed stepping in between them.

"I can take you both down with my hands tied behind my back!" The rest of the group piled behind us as the armored men got near. I recognized the first one to get closer, the guy I kicked in the face. God he sure puts on armor quickly. He laughed, throwing the sword in his right hand at the man to my left. It stuck and he fell to the floor. I showed no reaction to his death, I've seen and felt a lot worse. The other fell a second later, an arrow protruding from his eye.

"Your turn, but I won't be painless," He dropped his shield, raising his fists. I grinned. The master taught me how to fight with guns, swords, and hand-to-hand combat, for when someone else tried to claim me he said. The soldier came at me, swinging upwards. I jumped back, taking notice how the group behind me dispersed and was now around the Colosseum. The woman was fast for her age, dodging past arrows and spears and moving all the others out of harm's way. I looked more at the man assaulting me. He was putting his weight into his swings, dangerously slow. He wasn't moving his hips or back very much, especially his tailbone. So I wonder what would happen if I hit him there?

He kept swinging at me as I studied him. "Would you hold still?" I grinned and stopped. He swung upwards again, determined to knock me into the air. I grabbed his fist as it rose and flipped over him, bringing my heel extremely hard on his tailbone. He cried out loudly, silencing the crowd.

"Rule number one, always know your enemies' weak points," I whispered in his ear as he fell unconscious. His boyfriend glared from his distance, pulling a bow and firing at me. I easily dodged each one, catching and dropping a few, making the crowd cry wildly for me. I grinned as I neared him, jumping over and landing behind him. He spun quickly, dagger slicing through the air. I caught his arm, ripping the knife from his hand and elbowing him in the neck and stomach. I flipped him over, knocking the air out of him. "I didn't kill him,"

"You didn't?" I smiled at him before kicking him in the head. That's two down. A slave came to the gate behind me, looking scared.

"That book! Quickly!" I pointed back and he ran, grabbing it and running back to me, slipping it through the bars. I drew a glyph I remembered on his hand and he turned invisible. "You're untraceable now, get out of here!" I winked, happy to have my book back. The best part about it is I didn't have to carry it. I tossed it in the air and it flew next to me. I ran to the aid of that elderly woman. She had been hit and lay in the middle of three corpses. "You alright, miss?" She laughed.

"Don't worry about me, get to them!" The three girls were crying, huddled together, as a large man came up to them. He was nearly seven-foot and carried a halberd as long as his height, the axe designed for execution. I ran up, looking at my book which opened to a spell called armor decay. I cut the glyph shown to me with the small knife I had taken from the overprotective boyfriend. His suit of armor crumbled to dust, leaving him partially naked. He freaked out as air hit and swung at me. I knocked the axe to its side and hitched a ride, flinging around and wrapping my arm around his neck, pulling him to the ground and knocking him out.

Astonishment showed in the girl's eyes. I blew a kiss to them and ran back to the woman. She was still alive and her eyes were wide open. "What did you just do?" I smiled, drawing a large circle around in her in the sand, making a physical barrier. I ushered the girls in and grabbed the last two remaining boys before I sealed them in.

"Don't try to break out, it's a barrier of air. You'll be safe!" I looked up at the Emperor, and somehow I recognized him in a way, the grin of pure evil spread across his lips probably. He was using a knife to carve into a piece of wood, glancing up at me before getting back to work. I looked over at the Doctor. He gave me two thumbs up, laughing. River seemed astonished at my talents to fight.

The gates opened and a roar sounded loudly, freezing everyone in the Colosseum. I looked at the rusted iron rising. Something came out of the dark, something large and scaled. It roared even louder, lightning spewing out of its mouth. My eyes widened as it glared straight at me. I slowly looked over to the Doctor, his smile wiped clean off his face. I recognized the beast, a Drake. Its weakness is its strength, Lightning. But I won't have enough time to draw the tempest glyph.

I ran to the back of the stadium, setting to work. I had to try, that's what my master says. The book opened to the right page and I began to draw. The beast stomped closer and closer as I shaped the image. It stood over me as I finished, beginning to breathe down upon me. The glyph exploded in bright light. Tendrils of electricity spired above me, digging under the scales and ripping them off. It screamed in pain and stumbled backwards. This 'Emperor' seemed astonished. That's when I noticed what was on his chest. How could I have been so blunt?

I ran over, pulling off my necklace and pressing it to the Drake's neck. Instantly it hissed, but I yelled over its hiss and it shuddered, turning into smoke as it absorbed into the storm bead. When it was over the crowd was silent. The only sound was slow clapping, coming from the Emperor.

"Very good, young man. You seem to have seen right through my summon," I laughed at the disguised voice, taking notice of the slight glow to his neck. I looked up at him.

"Thanks... Master,"

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**A/N: AND YET ANOTHER CLIFFY! Sadly you'll have to wait until next week for the update! But I still left a good sized chapter for you all. Got any adventures you want fulfilled? Got any changes or ideas you want done? PM me or leave a review! Annnnd don't forget, be sure to Follow and Favorite if you enjoy the story so far, and leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Doctor Who, nor do I own the characters from it. This story has been created as a source of entertainment and is not to be sold or distributed by anyone but the sole author.**

**Chapter 6: Back to Square One  
James**

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Spires pushed me upwards, holding me and facing me to the false emperor. Fear filled my body as I got closer to his crooked grin. How did he even get here? We were thousands of years into the past and across an entire ocean! It's sad that I couldn't ask questions, I'd be beaten even more than what's coming to me.

"Oh James, you're getting better at recognizing glyphs. Too bad that won't stop me from... teaching you your lesson," His grin cracked wider into a smile. His sadism showed in his more ways than one as he walked off of the podium towards me, floating through air. "But I bet you're wondering how I even got to be Emperor of Rome?" I didn't blink at him, didn't move. I was too scared to. "It's very simple, just ask the Zodiarchs for your apprentice, they'll be glad to help you," He asked the Zodiarchy for help?! That can only mean...

"You used Bend-Reality?!" I thought he was going to swing at first, and with that ring on his hand it would've hurt, but he nodded his head.

"It seems you're very familiar with the spell? The most complex spell. I even had to draw the glyph, unlike this armor which was made as a disguise," He tapped the chestplate under his robes and his appearance returned to normal.

He was exactly how I last saw him. Deep green eyes that swirled with rage and lust. Looks unmatched by any man, to say they're godlike was an understatement. Years of working and exercise chiseled his body to perfection. His hair wasn't tidy, probably from his little spell casting, but still enhanced his image. I remember why I fell for him, and everytime I look into those eyes I remember why I fear him.

I looked over to where the Doctor sat, finding the chairs empty. How did they leave? The guards were still on duty, watching everything with an eagle's eye. My head was jerked by my master, making me look at his face. I saw something different, some sort of... compassion. But that couldn't be right.

"Now James, time to get back to the present. But I need something to draw the glyph on," He ripped off my shirt, pulling up his dagger. "So hold your breath," He carved a circle into my chest quickly. He was cutting shallow, but any movement from myself or a jerk of his arm could be fatal. So I stood there, letting him carve into my chest for five... ten... twenty minutes, I don't remember. But he went slowly, focusing far too much. Must have been a long time since he last drew a glyph.

He was halfway done before he shifted accidentally, cutting deeply into my lung. The sudden pain made me gasp and shift backwards away, pulling the blade from my lung upwards, cutting it open even further and ruining the glyph. He growled, pulling the blade out of me and plunging it back in, over and over. I lost count after sixty-five as he stabbed and stabbed. He had permission to kill me as my master... he could also just go to the future with his new spell and grab me before I leave. I guess that would create a paradox though.

The grip on my ankles released and I collapsed onto the column of stone that made me rise to him. Blood was pouring down it, all coming from me. My vision was blurring, head pounding as I gazed up at him. He seemed so sad to let me go, but knowing him he felt no remorse. I smiled, making him confused. I felt a tug in my gut, over the feeling of rushing blood, making me roll off of the edge.

I thought I was going to hit the sand and die there, but I landed on something metal. Blood stopped flowing to my eyes so I couldn't see, but I could hear. My master wasn't yelling, but cheering. Something closed, blocking his voice. He sounded like his old self... before I became his apprentice. My body burst into flames as it healed, what caused it I didn't know. But I wasn't near mastery of that spell, so what triggered it?

As my body healed in the flames, my vision came back to me. Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor standing grimly behind the large center console that stretched to the ceiling. He was talking with his wife quietly in a different language. They both looked over at me, sadness mixing with confusing in their eyes.

"How did he get from New York in 2013 to Ancient Rome?" Doctor scratched his chin. "Does he have a vortex manipulator?"

"A what? No, he has a certain spell that only the eldest Zodiarch knows. If he has it then... What did I do?" I stood as the flames dissipated. "The spell, Bend-Reality, allows you to basically do anything you want. Mostly used for time travel, but can be used to do unspeakable..." I had to stop myself. What would he do to them? I couldn't let them get hurt because of me. "Drop me back off at my time, here's my address," I handed him my master's business card.

"Why?" He took it, a deep frown spreading across his brow. I looked down at the metal walkway.

"I have to stop spreading pain like the Black Death," The Doctor looked at me like my father used to, a hint of sadness and respect. He went over, messing with the console. The TARDIS shook for a few seconds before making its final sounds. "Goodbye, Doctor," I turned to the door, opening it slowly. The sight I saw was a bit unexpected.

It was a large amusement park. Children ran around, playing tag and throwing the toys they won from the multiple games that stretched out in far rows. Metal and wooden tracks wove long coasters that passed carts full of screaming, giddy people. Others walked around slowly holding multiple food and drinks in hand. I scowled as I turned to the Doctor.

"Please, I want you to have fun before you leave, that's how I try to end it. Not well with it, but oh well!" I sighed, letting the child that was bottled inside be released. That's when I noticed the disappearance of River. I pointed it out and he smiled. "Used her vortex manipulator, had an urgent meeting to attend to," I nodded as he skipped over to me, holding out his elbow. "Care to join me?" I rolled my eyes before linking arms with him. I hoped this wouldn't end badly.

We rode a lot of rides, played a lot of games, got commented on how cute we looked together, everytime time making me laugh at the Doctor's reaction. For once in the past years, I was having fun. I remember my parents before the accident, how every Halloween they would take me to a large cookout where the adults would drink and have a different fun than the kids. We, as kids, played with burning logs when they weren't looking. Now I hate Halloween and alcohol, and it's all my fault.

The Doctor and I got on one last rollercoaster as the sun set over the horizon. It was the largest wooden one, hopefully smooth. The cart clicked up the steep incline of the hill as the girls in the back yelled at their brothers or boyfriends for convincing them to get on the ride. A few people were singing a song, clapping their hands loudly to the beat. I just looked at the Doctor, sad that this will be the last fun I'll probably ever have.

The cart reached the top and went over, gravity pulling us down towards the earth. As we descended I noticed ahead that the tracks were destroyed! A few girls saw it and screamed even louder than they were. The others followed their fingers as we reached the top of the second hill, joining their screams of terror. I reached into the Doctor's coat, grabbing his sonic screwdriver, as he had explained about it before.

I pointed it down to the metal cart front, drawing a remembered glyph of levitation. It will hurt a lot to hold it with so much weight, but I had to try. As the cart was about to run off the track I slammed my hand down on it. Pain shot through my spine as the cart flew over the hole in the track. I gasped loudly as we landed on the tracks and sped towards the brakes, vision blurring. Everyone on the cart was cheering for me, but I knew what caused the hole, of course it had to be my master.

As we left the park, the Doctor went into the TARDIS and we went our separate ways. I realized this place was in New York, but where? I guess that's what I get for wanting to know what's out of my reach. The gates of the place were hard to read in the newly shown darkness. As I tried arms wrapped around my chest and throat, startling me. Something was put over my nose, chloroform. I breathed in on accident and went limp, my master setting me on the floor as people started yelling at him. Then, the drugs took full effect, and I passed out.

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**A/N: What is with his master making him save people's lives, give or take if they're real or not? And also I still need a bunch of ideas for the story, and also how this'll work out. If you don't want everyone to see a cool idea for the plot, then PM me! Be sure to Follow and Favorite if you enjoy the story, and leave a review!**


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